The American Musical
A Literary Study within the Context of American Drama and American Theater with References to Selected American Musicals by Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and James Lapine
von Marc Bauch
Tectum Verlag Marburg 2003 ULB Darmstadt
16593664 IX
Content
PREFACE V
ABOUT THE AUTHOR VII
1. INTRODUCTION '. 1
2. THE AMERICAN MUSICAL 5
2.1 COMMERCE, DEMOCRACY, AND THE AMERICAN MUSICAL 5
2.2 NEW HISTORICISM: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL AS A MIRROR OF
REALITY 8
2.3 ASPECTS OF INTERTEXTUALITY IN THE AMERICAN MUSICAL 10
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AMERICAN MUSICAL THEATER BETWEEN THE COLONIAL PERIOD AND WORLD WAR II 15
4. THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE ERA OF RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN..^ 27
4.1 THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1940s 2? 4.1.1 An Overview of Some Selected Musicals from the 1940s 28 4.1.2 Kurt Weill and his Musicals 32 4.1.3 Rodgers and Hammerstein and their Musicals 34
4.2 THEMES AND TOPICS IN SOUTH PACIFIC 39 4.2.1 South Pacific: A Story of War 41 4.2.2 South Pacific: A Story of Racial Prejudices and National Differences.... 45 4.2.3 South Pacific: A Love Story 49 4.2.4 South Pacific and Tales of the South Pacific: Aspects of Intertextuality 61
5. THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1950S 67
5.1 THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1950s 68 5.1.1 An Overview of Some Selected Musicals from the 1950s 68 5.1.2 The Development of American Dance and Musical Choreography after World War II 70 5.1.3 Leonard Bernstein and his Musicals 73
5.2 THEMES AND TOPICS IN WEST SIDE STORY 75 5.2.1 West Side Story: A Story about Minorities 77 5.2.2 West Side Story: A Story about American Society and the American Dream : 81 5.2.3 West Side Story: A Story about Generation Conflicts 85 5.2.4 West Side Story: A Love Story 92 5.2.5 West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet: Aspects of Intertextual ity 100
6. THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1960S 109
7. THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE ERA OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM Ill
7.1 THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1970S AND 1980S 111 7.1.1 An Overview of Some Selected Musical from the 1970s and 1980s 111 7.1.2 Stephen Sondheim and his Musicals 113 XI
7.2 THEMES AND TOPICS IN SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE 117 7.2.1 Sunday in the Park with George: A Story about George Seurat 117 7.2.2 Sunday in the Park with George: A Story of Creation, Fall and Restoration 124 7.2.3 Sunday in the Park with George: A Story of Reception 139 7.2.4 Sunday in the Park with George: A Love Story 142
8. THE AMERICAN MUSICAL IN THE 1990S 151
9. CONCLUSION: THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL 155
10. APPENDIX A: AN OUTLINE CHRONOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN MUSICAL 159
11. APPENDIX B: THEMES AND TOPICS OF THE CANADIAN MUSICAL 163
12. BIBLIOGRAPHY 167
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PRIMARY WORKS 167
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF USED AND READ SECONDARY WORKS 167
BY THE SAME AUTHOR 175